Leadership Development
Public Sector
The Organisation
Our client is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation that specialises in international educational and cultural opportunities. Its overseas network extends to 233 locations in 107 countries and territories.
The Project Context
In order to help clarify its HR policies, practices and systems, the organisation introduced a Strategy for Staff programme. One element of the programme – the Performance Management and Professional Development Project (PMPD) – was intended to provide the organisation with a globally consistent performance management system.
The Requirement
One of the key objectives of the PMPD project was to support and encourage the development of a feedback culture to strengthen the performance management process in the context of a worldwide organisation with a high level of movement between locations and roles.
Our Solution
ASK worked with the organisation’s PMPD Project Manager to design 360 degree questionnaires to reflect competences at three levels of management, and set up a database with web-enabled questionnaire completion so that employees around the world could take part, supported with 1:1 coaching.
The process was initiated at Director level, although subsequent phases were opened to senior managers across the world on a voluntary basis.
As a result of the 360 degree feedback process and associated coaching and feedback, managers benefit from:
- Objective feedback and development on their performance in their current job
- Increased self-awareness of behaviour and styles
- Identification of areas for improvement
- Informed thinking about career options and most appropriate roles
- Comparison of self-perceptions with that of others
- Creating action plans to improve weaknesses
- Gaining the confidence to know and build on strengths
Evaluation
Individuals took part for a variety of personal reasons – for example, to assess their learning needs prior to an application for a new post or a promotion, to check their level of progress in a role, or to gain further insight into an issue of relationship with a manager.
As the programme rolled out, some participants also undertook repeat 360 degree feedback to check their personal development or to gain fresh insight from new colleagues and peers after a change of role and to further the leadership coaching.
Although individual anticipated benefits for participation were as diverse as the staff taking part, a Level 1 evaluation in Phase 3 of the programme showed that participants scored 4.1 (out of 5.0) when asked to identify the extent to which the benefits they sought had been achieved.
ASK has also been able to provide the organisation with a series of evaluation analyses, highlighting organisational themes that had been identified from participants’ evaluation scores and comments.
Delegate Quotes
“I was able to identify my own strengths and weaknesses as well as putting the then working environment into some perspective.”
“Helped me recognise examples of things I already do well so that I can try to do these more consistently.”
“It was valuable to see how my answers will match with the others. Am I able to see myself correctly? I was very pleased with the outcome.”